Steering device for drawn vehicles.



n N www@ Patented Nov.

llllll l.

1. KNAW. STEERING DEVICE FOR DRWNJVEHICLES.

APPLlCATlON FILED, OCT. 9, 1915.

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JACOB KNAPP, OF CINCTNNATI. 'OHIO- ASSIGNOR T0 THE SECHLER AND COMPANY, OF

CINCINNATI, OHIO. A C

ORYORATION OF OHIO.

- STEERING DEVICE FOR. DRAVVN VEHICLES.

Application filed October 9, 1915.

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1111 1111011111111 1'0111105 1'11 11011005 1111' 1110 pan-1.1011111111y 11'i1h 11111101l vehiel0 1111 :1111114 111111111011` 111111111 serre 111 1111111110. 11110 11'111101 111 1.110I 11111111111111110 :11111 :111. 1110. suine 111110 H1001 1110y 11111101:

.'1110v 111111110111 1110511111011 in 111111'111111g`t111. mm1; 011111110 01111s11'1111111n 1111' 11115I 11111111150. is b 1v 1111 11101111` 111e l i1111110 11110 it 111151111 :111- 110.111' :11 iirSL blush. 1111111111 1.110 1.111111'11 1'0- hicle is te 130 171111111011 111 1111 :111111111011110 :11111 is to 110 111'1111'11 11101' rough 1'111111s 111111 111111 111 111e 1111116111:` in 11 1'111; 0r 11010 :11111 1110 1111101' riding- 1:1011r5 11110 1111111111110 going 1111 :1n i11- eline 11'1'1i1e 1110 1111101' is 0.1111111111l 11111111, 1111.1 111110.01 11r \\'11001: 111- 111111 111150.11 s1111110111y by roche 1.11 obstructions, it is`e1'i110nt 111:11; 111e coupling 111111 l11101-11115 011111100111111 11'111 be subjected 111 great :11111 111111511111 111'is1s 111111 Strnim. 1111' 111 11x00 of anything 0x|10ri enced in 1.110- 11H0. of 1111rs0 111'111111 101110103. '111 furnish 111e 1111111'11 1'011i1f1e 11'i111 :1n 111'111- nary from. 111111111 11x10. 11'1111 111e 1:111111; wheebV 1110111111111 11101-01111 '111111 t1) 1111111110 111e 111'nw 11:11' 12111' 1110 111110111111111@ 111 1111s 11x10, given 11 rigid nnrnelnetic censtrnrlion 011- Lirely 111191111011 1111' 1110 purpose.

1171111 :1 110111- 11x10 @011511110111111 1111 111e 11i-:11111 10111010 like 111111 in 1111t1111111bil0s with Short :1.1105 :11111 111111111011110111' 111111011113 11111115 for 1.110 12.111111` 11110015` 111111 11 Steering red conA 11001511111, 11'0, 1111111 111e most effective 1'011ic1e for` 1111111 purposes, but the 111011111111 o1. 001,0 pling and steering :auch :1 vehicle is 11 serions one.

1t is the Object of my present invention to provide a` Simp1e 11nd durable construction for: such Ve11ie1es adapted to stand. effectively the strains to 'which the connecting mecha.- nizn must be subjected, as 1171111 be herein- Specification of Letters Patent.

Serial No. 54,977.

Fignre 1 is :111111 P11111 11011' 111. 1110 111111:, 001111111511151' 111)' invention.

F111'. iF; 11 110111` 0111111111111 showing 1110 011111100111155r 11111 :11111 1111111` @011511110111111 1'0- 111111'011 from 111e 11'11111'y axle o'f 111e trailer.

Fig. 21 is :1. 1'0111 1111111111011 111 the 1111111110 yoke '101 1110 11111101' :1s 1111111111011 11n the 15111111V 11x10. 1111111 11111011111101211111; 111'111 111111111111.

Fig. -1 is 11 11111 1111111 1r/'111111.

Fig. 5 is 11 siniihir View 111 the supporting 1111110 1'111' the double yoke.

Fig. 11 is :1 side 0111111111111 111l the (101111113 yoke.

Fig'. 7 is 11 11111 1111111 rien' 01jl 1110. resilient 111'1111' 11211', 11111'111' in Heetion.

Fig. S is 11 001111111 11111151'01511 s011i1111-tnk011 1111111155111 the 110111110. 110110 011111101111111 111111 1110 front. 11x10.

)in :111101111111110 haring` :1 10111' 111111111 1110111 1101' .1 :11111 :1 1:111111101' 2 5001111111 11101'01111 is e1n- 1111151011 to 1111111v 1110 trailer 101111210. which is 11i-111111011 with the 11811111 11X011 front 11x10 3 haring 1110 iii-11111 wheels 41', f-L, pivotally 1111111111011 1111 111e @11115 of 1110 11x10. by 111e 11111101110 joints 5, T1. :11111 111111 111e 1'1111111'1111111" extending 10.101' :111ns (i, Gq @1111110131011 11 gether 11.1' 1110. steering 011111100111@ 1'1111 T in the 11511111 1111y `for 1111111; 11x10. e11ns11'111f1i11ns 111" 111111111111111105. l)i\'01z111y 011111111131011 1'11 the 11111111101' L) by 111e coupling 11111 S is :1 1111111' bur 9. This 1111111 bnr 0X101111s 111111 :1 1111115- ingr 10 secured by bolts 11 111 111e 0111er 0111.1 Of 11. 111115.11111 11101111101' 12. The front 111 the housing is provided 11'i1h 11 eentr.11 111101111113 through which 1110 1111111- 11:11' 9 passes, 11'110re it 0n10rs into 11 socket 13 in 111e 1111101 01111 11E 111e tongue 11101111101: Slidnbiy 1111111111011 in 111e opposite 11111113 of the housing are the C1111- shaped washers 14, 14, having :1p1-Mures for the passage 111c the 1111111' bnr, 111111 n heavy m1111111 spring l5 is 111011111011 between the cups around. the 11111111 11111'. A1- the inner 0nd of the draw ba* 11n adjust11b1e nnt 1G is pro- .vided for adjusting the 1eng1'h of the draw 311 :is evident that, by this construction,

with a forward pull on the d law bar, the nut 1G will be drawn against the cup-shaped washer to compress the coiled spring; while with a sudden stop or backing ot' the drawing vehicle, the opposite washer will coinpress the coiled spring, and thus in both directionsv the tongue and trailer will be relieved from jar. It is evident that by this construction angulaimovement about the axis of the bar as a whole is permitted bctween the housing 1t) and the har i).

Mounted at the middle ol the 'front axle El ot the trailer and secured by clips 1T, 17, is the bearing plate lbf, having elliptical bearing surface portions 1), 1f), and a centra boss 20. 'l`o further etl'ectively hold the bearing plate on the axle, side tlanges 21,21., are provided to engage the sides ol the axle 3, and lugs 22, 22, tit into depressions on the top surlace of the axle.

Mounted on this bearing plate is the dou ble yoke plate 23, j'novided with a central socket 2l to fit over the boss 2t) on the hearing plate, and also provided with depending bearing surfaces 25, 25, to engage the portions 19, lf), ot' the bearingplate. rl`he yoke 23 has forwardly extending arms 35, 35, and a rearwardly extending portion "Twhich is hitureated to torm a horizontal slott for the reception ot the flattened portion 2) of the steering connectingrod. This connectingl rod is flattened at its middlo'portion and bent up slightly to enable it to be coupled to the yoke by the vertical bolt 3t),so that we have a single vertical pivot t'or the steering connecting rod.

rPhe yoke 23 and the bearing plate are held together by a central bolt 8l which passes down through a central aperture in the yoke and plate and through a corresponling aperture 1n the axle. In addition to this, a pairl ot washer plates 3Q, are provided, one on top of ythe yoke and the other underneath the axle through which the central holt 31 lalso passes, and these plates are further secured together hy end bolts 34, 34, so that the plates are held securely together, allowing, however, the yoke 23 to readily turnlon the boss Q0.

A pair ot torwaurdly extending arms 35,

Y35, are formed on the ,voke 225, willi slotted lugs 3G al the outer end, and provided with central eyes 37 in alinement. Through these eyes the yoke` is horizontally pivoted lto the spreading side arms or braces 2&8. 38, of the tongue construction by the horizontal pin 559. 'l`his pin also passes through the eye 4t), secured on the inner end oll the tongue l2, the three attaching points being `in horizontal alinement at right angles to the tongue l2 so that in this way we have a horizontal pivot for the tongue and draw bar with the yoke of the trailer and a vert 1- cal pivot on the bolt 3() tor the steering connor/,41 o

necting rod. The outer ends of this steering connecting rod are provided with the usual screnf'threaded connection with the ends of the levers t3, 6, on the wheel axle knuckles, and the adjustment of the length ol.I the connecting rod T is made so that the vtrailer Vehicle. lAs the yoke is shifted on its central vertical pivot by the movement of the drawing vehicle in turning corners, to maintain the wheels in parallel position, it is essential that the steering connecting rod 7 shall remain parallel with the axle, so that with the shifting ot' the connecting rod each wheel will turn to the same extent.

It is also ot imjiortance that the connection between the yoke on the axle o1 the, trailer and the tongue and draw bar Ishall be a horizontal pivotal connection, inasmuch as the rear wheels ot the drawing vehicle and the front wheels ot the trailer etten are in ditferent horizontal positions, one going up while the other is coming down.

With the constructitm as shown and described, we have a very etlective and strong const ruction which is able to stand the shocks and strains to which the vehicles are subjected.

lt will be o'l course understood that various 'changes in details ot the construction may be made without departing Vfrom the spirit oll my invention. For example, there is no reason why the connecting rod for the wheel levers should not he in two parts, S0

.long as the pivotal connection is maintained in parallelism.

llaving thus described my invention,what i claim as new and desire to secure by Letters lalent, is:--

1. ln a steering device t'or automobile trailers. a sectional draw-bar 'having vertically pivoted means at its outer end for attachment to the l'rame ot a tractor, thefscctions being resiliently connected and capablt,- ol' angular movement about the axis o'l tlu` bar` a rigid il'th wheel plate pivoted on the axle olf the trailer, said plate having lateral projecting arms, a horizontal pin mounted in said arms, said draw-har being pivoted on said pin, a parallel motion steering gear l'or said trailer comjirising a conneeting rod anda vertical pivotal connection therelor with said plate.

2. In a steering device l'or automobile trailers, a sectional draw-bar having vertically pivoted means at its outer end tor at- Itaehment to the' frame of a tractor', the sections being .resiliently connected and capable of angular movement about the axis of the bar, a rigid fifth wheel plate pivoted on the aXle of the trailer, said plate having lateral projecting arms, a horizontal pivotal connection for said draw-bar and projecting arms, a parallel motion steering gear for said trailer comprising a connecting rod and a vertical pivotal connection therefor With said plate and connecting rod.

3. In a steering device for automobile trailers comprising,r pivot axle wheels and a connectingr rod between the pivot axlev wheels, a fifth wheel pi-votally supported on the axle of' the trailer and coupled to the conuectingjr rod, an extended bearing substantially in the plane ot' the fifth wheel, a` long drawbar pivotally supported on said bearing.,r and lateral braces on the draw bar having their t'ree ends pivotally supported ou said bearing.

4l. A steering device for automobile trailers comprising pivot axle wheels, a rigid fifth wheel pivoted on the axle of the trailer and having two arms convergent to a common point, a connecting rod between the pivot wheels pivoted to the yoke at Said common point, a pin mounted in the free ends et the yoke arm and 'forming an extended bearing normally parallel to the axle oi the trailer, a draw-bar, andvlateral divergiug brace rods having `their ends piv` .otally supported on said pin.

5. In combination with a tongue for a trailer vehicle, a ,bearing plate on the axle of the `vehicle, a pivot boss on the bearing plate, a rige-id fifth wheel pivotally mounted ou the boss. one end of the fifth Wheel pivotall)Y coupled to the tongue on a horizontal axis, and the other end pivotally coupled to the steering mechanism of the trailer on a vertical axis, and means for securing said fifth wheel comprising upper and lower washer plates and bolts connecting said plates.

6. In combination with a tongue for a trailer vehicle, a bearing plate on the axle of the vehicle, a pivotJ boss on the bearing plate, a fifth wheel plate pivotally mounted on the boss, one end of thc fifth wheel plate pivotally coupled to the tongue on a horizontal axis, and the other end pivotally coupled to the steering mechanism of the trailer on a vertical axis, and means for securing said lfifth wheel plate comprising a securing member passing' over said fifth Wheel plate above the said boss and secured beneath the axle.

7. In combination with a tongue for a trailer vehicle, a bearing plate on the frame of the vehicle, a pivot boss on the bearing plate, elliptical bearing surfaces at the ends ot' said bearing plate, a double yoke pivot- JACOB KNAPP. 

